Chapter 4 Definitions Flashcards
Define utility programs (utilities)
part of an operating system which carries out certain functions such as virus checking, defragmentation and screensaver
Define malware
programs that are installed on a user’s computer with the aim of deleting, corrupting or manipulating data illegally
Define anti-virus software
software that quarantines and deletes files or programs infected by a computer virus; the software can run in the background or be initiated by the user
Define heuristic checking
checking software for behaviour that could indicate a possible virus
Define quarantine
to isolate (in order to later delete) a file or program identified by anti-virus software as being infected by a virus
Define defragmentation
a process that reorganises sectors on an HDD by rearranging blocks of data so that they are contiguous
Define contiguous
next to each other
Define back-up
make copies of files onto another storage media in case the original file becomes corrupted or is deleted
Define screensaver
software that supplies a still or moving image on a monitor if a computer has been inactive for a period of time
Define device driver
software that communicates with the operating system and translates data into a format understood by the device
Define descriptor
a collection of information about a device plugged into a USB port
Define operating system
software that provides an environment in which applications can run and also provides an interface between computer and human operator
Define boot up/bootstrap loader
a small program that is used to load other programs to correctly ‘start-up’ a computer system
Define EEPROM
stands for electronically erasable programmable ROM
Define human computer interface (HCI)
an interface supplied by the operating system to ‘hide’ the complexities of the software and hardware from the human user
Define command line interface (CLI)
an interface which allows communication with the computer by typing in commands using a keyboard
Define graphical user interface (GUI)
an interface that uses icons to represent apps and tasks which the user can select/launch by clicking on a mouse or using a touch
screen
Define windows icons menu and pointing device (WIMP)
an interface that uses a pointing device such as a mouse to
select options from screen icons or a menu
Define post-WIMP
a modern touch screen interface system that allows actions such as pinching and rotating
Define memory management
the part of an operating system that controls main memory
Define security management
the part of an operating system that ensures the integrity, confidentiality and availability of data
Define hardware management
the part of an operating system that controls all input and output devices; it is made up of sub-systems such as printer management
Define buffer
a memory area used to store data temporarily
Define file management
part of an operating system that manages files in a computer (for example, the ability to create, delete, copy, open, close and rename files)
Define interrupt
a signal sent from a device or software to a microprocessor requesting its attention; the microprocessor suspends all operations until the interrupt has been serviced
Define multitasking
a function that allows a computer to process more than one task/process at a time
Define administrator
a person responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of a computer system that involves multi-user function
Define user account
an agreement that allows an individual to use a computer; the user needs a user name and password to enter the user’s area
Define error handling routine
a routine in a program or operating system that recognises and recovers a system from abnormal inputs or hardware faults (for example, recovery from an attempt to divide by zero)
Define firmware
a program that provides low level control for devices
Define interrupt priority
the priority assigned to an interrupt are given a priority so that the microprocessor knows which one needs to be serviced first and which interrupts are to be dealt with quickly
Define service (an interrupt)
when an interrupt is received, some action needs to be taken by the processor depending on what caused the interrupt; until this is resolved (that is, it is serviced), the interrupt cannot be removed to allow the processor to continue
Define interrupt service routine (ISR)
software that handles interrupt requests (for example, when the printer out of paper) and sends a request to the CPU for processing
Define machine code
a binary programming language, a program written in machine code can be loaded and executed without translation
Define high-level language (HLL)
a programming language that is independent of computer hardware, a program written in a HLL needs to be translated into machine code before it is executed.
Define low-level language (LLL)
a programming language that is dependent on computer hardware, both machine code and assembly language are LLLs
Define assembly language
a programming language that is dependent on computer hardware, a program written in an assembly language program needs to be translated into machine code before it is executed
Define assembler
a computer program that translates programming code written in assembly language into machine code
Define compiler
a computer program that translates a source program written in a high-level language to machine code
Define translator
converts a program written in a high-level language program into machine code
Define interpreter
a computer program that analyses and executes a program written in a high-level language line by line
Define integrated development environment (IDE)
a suite of programs used to write and test a computer program written in a high-level language
Define debugging
finding errors in a computer program by running or tracing the program
Define prettyprinting
displaying source code using different colours and formatting, which make the code easier to read and understand
Define report window
a separate window in the runtime environment of an IDE that shows the contents of variables during the execution of a program
